2: ROBERT BROWN, PERTH AMBOY Home News Tribune December 12, 2010 Brown was seemingly everywhere on the field for the Panthers on both sides of the ball. The senior played end and outside linebacker on defense. He played wide receiver, running back and tight end on offense. Despite missing two and a half games with a hamstring pull, Brown still posted some gaudy numbers. He recorded 52 tackles (seven for loss), a sack, four hurries, two interceptions and four pass deflections. Most teams ran away from Brown, while others double-teammed him, not to meniton he has the speed to chase down ballcarriers. On offense, Brown caught 20 passes for 558 yards and five touchdowns. He averaged an area-leading 27.9 yards per catch. Brown also rushed for a touchdown.

5: PERTH AMBOY 9, FREEHOLD TOWNSHIP 0 (Sept. 11) Despite giving up over three times as many yards on offense, the Freehold Township football team only surrendered one touchdown en route to a 9-0 loss to Perth Amboy in a non-conference game on Saturday night. The Patriots (0-1) gained only 70 yards (49 rushing, 21 passing) of offense while giving up 250 yards (140 rushing, 110 passing) to Perth Amboy (1-0) but only trailed 3-0 at halftime. The Panthers scored on their second drive to take the early lead. After getting a first and goal at the 10-yard line late in the first quarter, the Patriots kept Perth Amboy out of the end zone two times, setting up fourth and goal from the 5-yard line. Perth Amboy’s Robert Almanzar was called up for the field goal and he delivered with shear accuracy for a 22-yard FG and a 3-0 with 3:49 left in the first quarter. Neither team got into the red zone again until early in the fourth quarter when Perth Amboy broke through for the game’s only touchdown. After 10 plays and 65 yards, Perth Amboy’s Robert Brown took his only carry of the game in for a 2-yard touchdown and a 9-0 lead with 11:55 left in the fourth quarter. Perth Amboy botched the snap and the kick attempt failed. Neither team fumbled the ball but both teams were called for a lot of penalties. Freehold Township was flagged for six penalties for 43 yards and Perth Amboy was called for 11 penalties for 70 yards. Five of the 11 Perth Amboy penalties were for jumping offsides on defense. Freehold Township’s leading rusher was Matt Intile with 10 carries for 20 yards and quarterback Joe Defranco was 4-for-9 for 21 yards. He connected with four different receivers. On defense, Freehold Township’s Allreal Rosa and Mike Mullen each intercepted Perth Amboy quarterback Faustino Saucedo. Rosa picked off Saucedo 7:53 left in the second quarter and Mullen picked off Saucedo to end the second quarter.

7: J.F. KENNEDY 17 PERTH AMBOY 14 (Sept. 18) From Perth Amboy High School football coach Mike Giordano’s perspective, his team either gave away a win or had a victory stolen. Either way the veteran mentor looked at it, there was no disputing that J.F. Kennedy placekicker Luiz Maurina’s 20-yard field goal early in the fourth quarter proved to be the difference in Saturday’s controversial, 17-14 victory over the Panthers at Louis M. Bartha Field. The win over Perth Amboy (1-1), ranked No. 10 in the Home News Tribune Top 10, was significant for the unranked Mustangs (2-0), who now appear, along with North Brunswick, to be favored to win the Greater Middlesex Conference White Division. “It’s huge for this program,” said J.F. Kennedy third-year head coach Rich Nyers. “Since we got here we’ve been talking about taking steps. This year we needed to take the next step. “This is a very good team that we just played. This obviously was (the Home News Tribune’s) Game of the Week for a reason. This was a battle back and forth. I’m sure it was a great game to watch. We are fortunate that we came out on the right side of (the score).”The opportunistic Mustangs, who were outgained 322-196 in total offensive yards, turned three of Perth Amboy’s five turnovers into scores. Daishon Robinson’s interception in the end zone on Perth Amboy’s opening series did not lead to any points, but it came on second-and-goal and thwarted a 65-yard drive. Tom Fischer’s interception at the J.F. Kennedy 24-yard line with 1 minute, 26 seconds left in the fourth quarter also did not produce a score, but it sealed the victory and came seconds after the game’s most controversial play. Perth Amboy’s Robert Brown, who caught two touchdown passes earlier in the game, each to help the Panthers erase a seven-point deficit, had an apparent 85-yard yard go-ahead touchdown reception nullified by a blocking-in-the-back call with 2:56 remaining. The controversial play came on fourth-and-6 from the Perth Amboy 15-yard line. Quarterback Fonzi Saucedo threaded a pass to Brown between two defenders. Brown caught the ball near midfield, shook off a would-be-tackler, and outraced a host of defenders to the end zone. The late flag appeared to be thrown after or just before Brown had already crossed the goal line. An irate Giordano stormed onto the field in protest, claiming that a J.F. Kennedy defensive back threw himself at wide receiver Andrew Camillo, who was in position to make a downfield block and was whistled for the penalty. “Our kid is running down the field,” Giordano explained. “The kid from Kennedy stops (and) throws himself at Camillo. The trailing referee sees a pile there and calls (illegal block). The other referees were calling touchdown. That is what happened and I would put a stack of Bibles here.” Nyers said: “I did not see what the flag was or where the flag was. Obviously, I’m glad it came out our way, of course. I was looking more to the backfield when (Brown) broke off. I wanted to see where the coverage broke down, and that’s what I was looking for at the time.” The Panthers were awarded a first down at the J.F. Kennedy 41-yard line. Two plays later, Saucedo was intercepted as his pass across the middle was tipped into Fischer’s hands. J.F. Kennedy’s bend-but-don’t-break defense made big plays when it had to against Perth Amboy’s dangerous quarterback platoon of Saucedo and Rashaad Adam. Saucedo, more of a pocket passer, split time with Adam, a dual threat to run or throw. Both quarterbacks frequently operated out of a spread shotgun formation, sometimes with five receivers. Saucedo passed for 154 yards in the first half, but was limited to 27 yards in the second half before his 44-yard completion to Brown on Perth Amboy’s final series. “We talked a little bit more about the coverage we were running, and we just solidified that coverage,” Nyers said of J.F. Kennedy’s halftime adjustments. “We just told the guys: “Keep playing the game that we play. Know your responsibilities, know your assignments, and everything is going to take care of itself.’ “Two muffed punts — both recovered just outside the red zone by Nick Hart — resulted in Maurina’s field goal and Hart’s 26-yard touchdown pass to Daishon Robinson. The latter gave J.F. Kennedy a 14-7 lead with 4:21 left in the first half. Kenny Adoegun’s interception at midfield late in the first quarter set up a 50-yard scoring drive, which fullback Mark Weber capped with an 8-yard run for a 7-0 lead with 9:08 to play in the second half. The Mustangs, who threw the ball just once in their season opener, completed two passes against Perth Amboy. Hart’s first completion came on third-and-10 from the Perth Amboy 35 and went for 23 yards to Andrew Dunn. It set up Weber’s touchdown run. “People don’t think it, but we practice the pass every offensive practice,” said Nyers, whose team runs the option. “When it’s there, we are going to take advantage, and with the pressure they were bringing us, that just ended up being there for us (twice), so we took advantage of that.” The Panthers answered Weber’s touchdown with a 64-yard drive of their own to forge a 7-7 tie with 6:12 left in the second quarter. The march was aided by a roughing-the-passer penalty on a third-down incompletion, which would have forced the Panthers to punt. Moments later, Saucedo connected with Brown on a 36-yard catch-and-run for Perth Amboy’s first score. The duo connected again with 1:49 left in the first half to forge a 14-14 tie. The pass capped a 74-yard drive that came in immediate response to Hart’s own scoring strike. Saucedo completed five passes for 72 yards on the march. “I give Kennedy credit,” Giordano said. “They won. Now what we’ve got to do is run the table, hope that North Brunswick beats Kennedy, we beat North Brunswick, and have a three-way tie (atop the White Division). That’s basically it.”

8: JFK vs. PERTH AMBOY 2010 | Perth Amboy WR Robert Brown (#32) runs through a pair of Mustang defenders for his first of two touchdowns in the first half as JFK Iselin plays host to Perth Amboy in high school football action at Louis M. Bartha Memorial Stadium in Woodbridge. (9/18/2010) | Perth Amboy WR Robert Brown (#32) holds up two fingers to the JFK defense after he scored his second TD of the first half as JFK Iselin plays host to Perth Amboy in high school football action at Louis M. Bartha Memorial Stadium in Woodbridge

9: Perth Amboy wide receiver Robert Brown lies motionless in the end zone after his long touchdown — an 80+ yard catch and run — was called back by a penalty late in the 4th quarter as JFK Iselin hangs on to beat Perth Amboy, 17-14, in high school football action at Louis M. Bartha Memorial Stadium in Woodbridge. The call was an illegal block in the back after the catch. It would have been Brown's third TD of the game. (9/18/2010) | Perth Amboy receivers coach Pat Ricks congratulates WR Robert Brown (#32) after his second TD of the first half as JFK Iselin plays host to Perth Amboy in high school football action at Louis M. Bartha Memorial Stadium in Woodbridge. (9/18/2010 | SHUT DOWN BROWN | GO TEAM! | Losing gracefully is commended, but never chosen. Unknown

10: Perth Amboy 34 South Plainfield 6 September 24, 2010 Fonzie Saucedo threw for three touchdowns to lead Perth Amboy to a 34-6 victory over South Plainfield last night in South Plainfield. Saucedo's first TD pass was a 27-yard throw to Andrew Camillo in the second quarter that gave Perth Amboy a 12-6 lead. Saucedo added two more TD strikes in the fourth quarter when he connected with Rob Brown for a 20-yard score and Kyshown Jett for a 56-yard TD. Nigel Hatcher opened the scoring with a 30-yard interception return in the first quarter and Ray Arce had a 38-yard rushing TD in the second quarter to give Perth Amboy a 20-6 edge. South Plainfield's score came on a 12-yard TD run by Brendan Wilson in the first quarter.

11: FRIDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL | It's not whether you get knocked down; it's whether you get back up. Vince Lombardi

12: PERTH AMBOY 27, COLONIA 20 October 1, 2010 FIELD POSITION After Colonia got on the board and made the score 13-7 in the first quarter, field position became an issue and it led to a 27-7 halftime lead for Amboy. After the Colonia score on a run by the talented Greg Jones, Perth Amboy was forced to punt on its next possession, but punter Fonzie Saucedo pinned Colonia. As a result, Colonia had to start its next three drives at the C-8, C-18 and C-17 and wound up punting on all three. Amboy was finally able to take advantage and scored with 1:15 left in the half using the short field. AGGRESSIVE With 35 seconds left in the first half, Perth Amboy got the ball on its own-47 following an interception by Brown. Instead of sitting on the ball, the Panthers went for the score. After a 10-yard run by Saucedo, a 13-yard pass from Saucedo to Tyler Maisonet and an incomplete pass, Saucedo hit Brown with a 30-yard pass in the end zone with six seconds remaining. GREAT CATCH The athletic Robert Brown made an amazing 30-yard grab while backpedaling in the end zone and concentrating on the ball as Colonia defender C.J. Gray was all over him. FIRST SERIES/LAST SERIES SACKS When Colonia got the ball back with 1:38 left to play in the game on its own 10, linebackers David Nieves and Eric Perez recorded back-to-back sacks for Amboy to end any suspense. On Colonia’s first possession of the game, the Pats drove to the PA-18. But back-to-back sacks by Nieves and Perez forced a punt. Perez wound up with three sacks, Nieves two. MISSED OPPORTUNITIES Trailing 27-7 at the half, Colonia made it 27-13 with 8:53 left in the game, but it had two chances to score before that. At the PA-15, Colonia gave the ball up on a fumble with 4:25 left in the third. Going for it on fourth-and-goal from the PA-2 with 11:50 left in the game, Colonia was stopped a yard short. Colonia hurt itself by turning the ball over four times.

13: #32 Robert Brown of Perth Amboy makes a touchdown catch in front of #4C.J. Gray of Colonia. | #32 Robert Brown of Perth Amboy breaks away from Colonia defender #24Derek Wahl for a touchdown in the first half. Perth Amboy, NJ | Obstacles don't have to stop you. If you run into a wall, don't turn around and give up. Figure out how to climb it, go through it, or work around it. Michael Jordan

14: NORTH BRUNSWICK 29, PERTH AMBOY 14 (Oct. 8, 2010) Entering Friday night’s showdown with Perth Amboy, North Brunswick cornerback Karim Sawyer said his team, ranked No. 7 in the Home News Tribune high school football Top 10, wanted to make a defensive statement. The Raiders, who felt they surrendered too many points (59) in their last two games, shut down the Greater Middlesex Conference’s most potent passing attack in a 29-14 victory over the eighth-ranked Panthers at Steve Libro Field. The contest was billed as a high-scoring affair but only North Brunswick (4-1) fulfilled that promise. Sawyer and fellow defensive back Jake Rosenberg, a couple of lock-down corners, spearheaded a defense that limited Perth Amboy’s first-team offense to 59 passing yards. Faustino Saucedo and Robert Brown entered the game as the league’s leading passer and receiver, respectively, with a combined 1,191 yards and 12 touchdowns. Brown was held without a single catch and Saucedo was intercepted twice. “We do take a great deal of pride in our defense and over the last two games we had some stretches where we didn’t play the way we think we can as a defensive team,” North Brunswick head coach Mark Zielinski said. “I think our guys tackled well. The secondary did a magnificent job. We had a great game plan going into the game. Our defensive coordinator Mike Kuchar always has our guys ready to play. Overall I thought we did a really nice job on that side of the ball.”

15: next game: Marlboro 11-6 2p.m. | Ask not what your teammates can do for you. Ask what you can do for your teammates. -Magic Johnson

16: PERTH AMBOY 24 NEW BRUNSWICK 6 (October 15, 2010) Despite not having star wide receiver Robert Brown, who was out with a pulled hamstring, the Panthers beat New Brunswick 24-6 last night to improve to 4-2, their best start since 1995. It was the first time Perth Amboy topped the Zebras (0-6) in 10 years. ”It took a lot of hard work,” said Perth Amboy head coach Mike Giordano. “”Last year we finished 4-6, but we lost a lot of close games. We probably should’ve had a winning season last year, and we’re probably on the verge (this year). From here on out, every game is a playoff game and we have to be 6-2 by the cut off to make it (to the playoffs).” Coming in, the Panthers didn’t know if they would be able to win without Brown, who leads the team with six touchdown catches. And early on it didn’t look that way. Junior quarterback Faustino Saucedo struggled without his top target, completing 5 of his 13 passes for 118 yards. But he managed to find senior Robert Almanzar for a 20-yard touchdown completion with 1:25 remaining in the first half to give his team a 10-6 lead it would never relinquish. ”We’re making history right now,” Saucedo said. “”We’re progressing so much. It means so much coming from the Perth Amboy district. We’re making everybody so proud. Our fans have done a great job supporting us and our coaches made some great adjustments in the second half.” Seniors Jeremy Marquez and David Nieves combined with 5:40 left in the third quarter to put the game away for good." Marquez got his hand on a Quadray Cathart punt and Nieves scooped up the blocked football and scurried into the end zone from 10 yards out to make it 17-6. Then Arce scored the final TD for the Panthers on a trick play 3:15 later. Reminiscent of the play Boise State ran when it upset Oklahoma in the 2007 Fiesta Bowl, Saucedo faked a screen pass and handed the ball off behind his back to Arce, who raced to pay dirt from 14 yards out. The Zebras jumped out in front 6-0 with 56 seconds remaining in the first quarter when Cathart (5-for-11, 67 yards) hooked up with junior wideout Norman Daniels on a 23-yard touchdown reception. But Perth Amboy’s defense clamped down from there, limiting the big play and containing Cathart, who added 72 yards on 16 rushes, as best it could. “At the beginning of the season, we knew we had to work very hard,” Saucedo said. “”I stumbled a little bit the first two games, but I’ve gotten my mojo back. We’ve all gotten our mojo back. And we’ve just been working really hard. Even when we’re down, we always try to stay positive. We’re a very confident team." My body could stand the crutches but my mind couldn't stand the sideline. Michael Jordan

19: PERTH AMBOY 20 BISHOP AHR 13 (October 29, 2010) Robert Brown doesn’t just awe opponents with his play on the field, but he’d also be a candidate for the Decoy Player of the Year if such an award existed. That was evident after Perth Amboy High School’s 20-13 win over Bishop Ahr Friday night in a key Greater Middlesex Conference White Division game. The senior receiver/linebacker returned after pulling a hamstring on Oct. 8 and caught four passes for 92 yards. More importantly, the Trojans often covered the 6-foot-1, 200-pounder with two defenders. That allowed his teammates to get open in 1-on-1 coverage. Tyler Maisonet caught a 35-yard touchdown pass from Faustino Saucedo, and Robert Almanzar had two catches for 62 yards including a 32-yard touchdown haul. Saucedo threw for 290 yards. “Robert Brown brings fear whether he catches the ball or not,” Panthers coach Mike Giordano said. “He’s a weapon. You have to respect him. If you don’t, he’s going to beat you wherever he lines up.” Bishop Ahr — No. 8 in the Home News Tribune Top 10 — certainly cringed. The Trojans (5-3 overall, 5-2 in GMC White) were hoping to stay in contention for the conference title. Perth Amboy (5-2, 4-2), coming off its bye week, needed power points to qualify for the NJSIAA playoffs for the first time since the current format started in 1979. Giordano wasn’t sure of how the math lined up with the calculations, but knew one thing — his team needed to beat Bishop Ahr. Perth Amboy plays at Marlboro next Saturday. “This is a big victory for the program,” Giordano said. “For all the alumni, the past players. This is huge for the town. Five wins almost guarantees a winning season, but we don’t want to stop here. We want to make the playoffs. That’s been our mission.” They took a big step Friday. Perth Amboy used big plays to set up touchdowns, and the defense came through at the end. Late in the fourth quarter, Saucedo punted and Almanzar downed the ball at Bishop Ahr’s 6. The Trojans moved the ball with a 33-yard pass from Bill Demato to Tim Hagerty. Two plays later, Perth Amboy’s Jeremy Mendez and Angel Vargas combined on a sack. On fourth-and-13 from their own 34-yard line, Perth Amboy’s Raymond Arce dove to knock down a pass with his right arm that was intended for Joel Lynch to seal the win. “I knew my guy was going to run the slant because he kept looking at the inside,” said Arce, who also had 89 total yards on offense. “I threw my body and tipped the ball. . . . If I didn’t throw my arm down, he probably would have caught it.” Perth Amboy led 14-0 at halftime. The first score was set up off a Nigel Hatcher interception near the beginning of the second quarter. Five plays later, Saucedo threw a 35-yard touchdown pass to Maisonet with 9:13 left in the quarter for a 7-0 lead. Maisonet caught the ball outside of the end zone ahead of the defender. The Panthers scored again toward the end of the first half following a blocked punt from Umar Amin. Perth Amboy took over at the Trojans’ 20 with 2:52 left in the half. Seven plays later, Saucedo fumbled the ball, but picked it up and scored from 1-yard out with :09 left in the half. Christian Bermo’s extra point made it 14-0. Bishop Ahr scored twice in the second half to make it interesting, but Perth Amboy’s defense held at the end. Now, comes the talk about the playoffs. “We did what we had to do tonight. We can’t have a let-up against Marlboro next week,” Giordano said. “We just hope that all the calculations and computers are on our side and we somehow get in there. That’s all we can do is to hope.” Kenny Virden rushed for 112 yards to lead Bishop Ahr, including a 17-yard touchdown scamper. He also caught a 22-yard scoring pass from Bill Demato.

20: MARLBORO 13 PERTH AMBOY 0 (Nov. 6) After the defense kept Perth Amboy in the game during the first half, two turnovers led to Marlboro scores. Marlboro intercepted the ball on the Perth Amboy eleven in the third quarter and recovered a fumble on the Perth Amboy ten in the fourth quarter. Perth Amboy was held to just over 100 yards of total offense. | There is no better than adversity. Every defeat, every heartbreak, every loss, contains its own seed, its own lesson on how to improve your performance the next time. Malcolm X

33: CHAMPIONS | Nothing can stop the man with the right mental attitude from achieving his goal; nothing on earth can help the man with the wrong mental attitude. Thomas Jefferson

34: Picture Perfect

35: 32 | GRAMS

36: PERTH AMBOY 2011 | “Champions aren't made in the gyms. Champions are made from something they have deep inside them - a desire, a dream, a vision.” Muhammad Ali

37: LOVE THE GAME!! | LIVE THE GAME!!

38: "The best athletes are those who truly enjoy what they are doing and display a tremendous amount of work ethic. They continue to persevere in spite of setbacks and never lose sight of their ultimate goal." Dianne Holum (Winter Olympics 1972)

39: Presented and Sponsored by: | U.S. ARMY | mycentraljersey.com

40: BELIEVE | Paralyzed Rutgers football player Eric LeGrand of Colonia will do the pre-game coin toss. All proceeds from the game will benefit the Lakeview School for Cerebral Palsy in Edison and the Children’s Specialized Hospital in Mountainside. | Snapple Bowl founder and game director Marcus Borden has pledged a substantial donation to the Eric LeGrand Believe Fund. | SNAPPLE BOWL XVIII What It's All About The hoopla surrounding the wealth of talented ball carriers on this year’s Middlesex County All-Star team has predictably come to a head in the days leading up to Thursday’s MyCentralJersey.com Snapple Bowl XVIII. After Union County linebacker Will Ingram of Linden said, “I’m not concerned about them at all,” when questioned about the Middlesex County backfield on Saturday, Piscataway’s Brandon Stout delivered a prompt response on Sunday. “I think we’re just going to have to show (Ingram) what we can do,” said Stout, who is part of a three-headed monster that Middlesex has at the running back position with Dunellen’s Rontik Sadler and North Brunswick’s Ross Kurtz. “We’ll do all of our talking in pads on Thursday,” he added. Game time is 7 p.m. at Kean University in Union, and all proceeds from the game will benefit the Lakeview School for Cerebral Palsy in Edison and Children’s Specialized Hospital in Mountainside. “I expect Union’s defense to be aggressive, effective flowing to the football and matching our speed,” Middlesex County offensive coordinator Mike Kuchar said. “We’re going to see what they’re doing well and see what they give us. It is going to be like a chess match. It’s going to make for a good game and that’s what the fans come to see.” As is often the case in any level of football, the guys playing in the trenches have been overlooked. “Everybody knows football games are won at the line of scrimmage,” said Union County defensive coordinator Ron Harmar, the athletic director at New Providence. “We have a talented and speedy front four, and it’s our job as coaches to get them prepared to be in the best position possible to win the football game. If the guys up front aren't opening up running lanes and creating space, “It doesn’t matter who is in the backfield,” Kuchar said. Stout recognizes the importance of his offensive linemen in determining how successful Middlesex County is on the ground. They’re going to be the most important part of it,” Stout said “Without them, we’re probably not going to get anything because we can only do so much from behind.” Despite the playful exchange of words between two of the area’s best players, each squad remains focused on polishing off its game plan. | "We’re doing things to utilize their talents,” Kuchar said in reference to his running backs. “I just want to keep it simple. “I’m not out here trying to reinvent the wheel and outcoach anybody. I’m just trying to get the ball in my players’ hands as best I can. I just wish I had more footballs.” The Snapple Bowl has raised more than $300,000 since its inception. The contest has set consecutive single-game fundraising records, raising more than $40,000 each of the last two years. If more than the $42,000 raised last year is donated, Snapple Bowl founder and game director Marcus Borden has pledged a substantial donation to the Eric LeGrand Believe Fund. LeGrand will be on hand for the event and participate in the coin toss.

49: Robert Brown moves the ball up-field for Middlesex during the first half at the 18th annual Snapple Bowl - an all-star game between high school football players from Middlesex and Union counties at Kean University on Thursday. Union, NJ 7-21-11 | Football is like life - it requires perseverance, self-denial, hard work, sacrifice, dedication and respect for authority." | TRENGTH | H | onor | ERSEVERENCE | P | S | gility | A

50: IN MOTION... | Set! | Go! | "I don't know any other way to lead, but by example." | Ready!

51: Cheerleaders | GO BROWN | What was that!! | Huh! Gosh!! | What can we do to turn this around guys!

52: Go Middlesex

53: The Next Chapter

54: "You've got to follow your passion. You've got to figure out what it is you love--who you really are. And have the courage to do that. I believe that the only courage anybody ever needs is the courage to follow your own dream." Oprah Winfrey